Auburn College of Education Dean Jeffrey Fairbrother inducted into National Academy of Kinesiology

Jeffrey T. Fairbrother, dean of Auburn University’s College of Education and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor, has been inducted into the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK), one of the field’s highest honors.

Recognized for his distinguished and sustained contributions to kinesiology through scholarship and professional service, Fairbrother joins an elite group of scholars whose work has shaped the future of human movement and physical activity.

The induction took place recently during NAK’s annual awards banquet and ceremony in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where 10 U.S. scholars and two international scholars were welcomed as Fellows.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Fairbrother to the Academy,” said Monica A. F. Lounsbery, president of the National Academy of Kinesiology. “His leadership and scholarship exemplify the qualities we seek in Fellows — advancing knowledge, mentoring the next generation and strengthening the future of kinesiology.”

NAK Fellows represent a “who’s who” of eminent scholars advancing the art and science of kinesiology. The National Academy of Kinesiology is a members-based, non-governmental organization with a dual purpose of encouraging/promoting the study and educational applications of the art and science of human movement and physical activity and honoring by election to its membership those who have directly or indirectly contributed significantly to the study of and/or application of the art and science of human movement and physical activity.

“Dr. Fairbrother’s induction into the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) owes to his substantial and sustained scholarly and leadership contributions to the field of kinesiology,” said Alan L. Smith, interim president of Utah State University and a fellow NAK member. “His career is marked by excellence and impact that has benefited students, colleagues, and understandings in our field. We look forward to his continued contributions and impact as a Fellow of the NAK.”

Fairbrother earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Santa Barbara, his Master of Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and his Ph.D. in Movement Science from Florida State University. He served three years as an assistant professor at Towson University, followed by 17 years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he rose to the rank of professor and served as department head, associate dean and interim dean. In October 2020, he joined Auburn University as dean of its College of Education. Fairbrother’s scholarly expertise is in motor behavior with a focus on factors that influence motor learning and performance. He is a past president of the American Kinesiology Association and past president of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport & Physical Activity.

Among the list of all-time Academy Fellows are recipients of:

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellowship

National Academy of Medicine Membership

MacArthur Fellowship

“The caliber of individuals in the academy really puts into perspective the significance of this achievement,” said fellow NAK member Mary Rudisill, who recently retired as the director of Auburn’s School of Kinesiology. “It’s a powerful reflection of Dean Fairbrother’s leadership, scholarship and impact, and it speaks volumes about the strength of the programs he’s helped shape. This is a huge milestone and an incredible point of pride for our university. It’s moments like this that continue to raise the national profile and reputation of the School of Kinesiology, College of Education and Auburn University and affirm its upward trajectory!”

Academy membership is restricted to 200 active Fellows. Potential Fellows are nominated annually by current Fellows. Following a rigorous, multistage review process, the most eminent are elected. Several have served as leaders of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad, including the president of Dartmouth College, Michigan State University and Shanghai University of Sport.